“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
I’m not much of a gardener, but we have a rose bush that had grown big and wild. I took a machete to it and hacked away at it leaving it looking barren and ugly. When it started to blossom, we were not only stumped by the number of roses that bloomed but by their size and beauty. Imagine what results God, the creator of everything can produce as a gardener when he prunes our lives.
There have been times in my life that I have suffered deeply and gone through hardships that at the time felt horrible and painful. However, when I look back, at no other time in my life have I felt more dependent on him than in my suffering. When there was nothing that I could do to save me or my circumstances. When everything else was stripped away and all I could do was to cling to him.
The pruning season in our lives never feels good, but it is then that he can really accomplish something deep in us that will bring transformation and fruit for his glory. In our weakness he is strong.
Today as you talk to God, if you are in the midst of suffering, cling to him. Rest in his love. Remain in him and surrender your whole life to him. If you are not in the midst of suffering, cling to him. Rest in his love. Remain in him and surrender your whole life to him.
